First An African Refugee in Israel, Darfuri Genocide Survivor Pursues LLM Degree

“This is the greatest opportunity of my life.”

September 26, 2019

Portrait of Mutasim Ali

If you had asked Mutasim Ali what he would be doing in 2019, pursuing a legal education in Washington, DC, would not have been his answer.

"It is almost unimaginable to me, thinking of where I was 15 even 10 years ago, that I would be here in this place. Coming here is not something I take for granted," said Mr. Ali, who is currently pursuing an LLM in the International & Comparative Law Program at GW Law. “This is the greatest opportunity of my life.”

His journey to legal studies has not been an easy one. Originally from Darfur in the Republic of Sudan, Mr. Ali has been a displaced person since 2003. His family currently still resides in a displaced person’s camp in Sudan.

While his country was going through political upheaval, Mr. Ali risked his life to advocate for the rights of the oppressed Darfuri people.

“I had nothing left behind. My home was completely destroyed, my town wiped out, my family displaced," Mr. Ali said. "I just kept thinking, how do I make the voices of my people heard? What do I have in my hands, given that we have an authoritarian regime where free speech is not allowed, that can help?"

After many years of activism and being held a political prisoner in Sudan, Mr. Ali fled the country to seek refugee status in Israel. Even though Israel has no diplomatic ties to Sudan, Mr. Ali said gaining refugee status was long and arduous. Through this process, Mr. Ali found himself involved in political activism for the rights of refugees and immigrants in Israel.

"Generally speaking, Israel is not very welcome to asylum seekers and refugees who are looking for a temporary safe place," he said. "While I was experiencing this, I knew I had to advocate for the rights of refugees and immigrants in Israel. My main focus was still advocating for the people in my home country, but there was much work to be done in Israel."

Mr. Ali spent over 8 years advocating for refugee rights in Israel, working for and founding several advocacy groups. Eventually, he decided to pursue law school in 2015, becoming the first African migrant law school graduate in Israel.

"I actually applied to law school when I was in prison in Israel. I didn’t have money. I didn’t have anything," Mr. Ali said. "My friends and the community helped me through the process of applying, and I received a scholarship that enabled me to go to school."

During his time at law school, Mr. Ali was granted refugee status in Israel, making it possible for him to continue his legal studies in the US.

Through legal education, Mr. Ali hopes to return to Sudan and help draft a constitution that would ensure justice and equal rights for the people in his country.

"My primary goal is to help improve and stabilize Sudan at least from a constitutional perspective," he said. "Given that Sudan today does not have a permanent constitution, that is a major source of our problems. The opportunity of being here, it will just pave a way for where I want to go and to influence people's lives."

Mr. Ali said that he would not have been able to achieve what he has without the help of his friends and community.

“In my case, it wasn’t only me who was excited about this opportunity but the community in Sudan and Israel. The support of my friends is one of the reasons why I do not take this opportunity for granted," he said. "This is not only for me but for everyone who has supported me to this point. The community and the people I advocate for all the time who are refugees in Israel and the people in Sudan who are in refugee camps and displaced, they drive me."

Mr. Ali said GW Law was the perfect place for him to continue pursuing his legal education.

"I chose GW for many reasons, but especially because it is in DC where everything happens. My interest in constitutional and international law makes there no better place to be than GW Law," Mr. Ali said. "My ultimate goal is to go back and help in the constitution-making process, building up communities, help to shape Sudan's future. Now is the time that I truly feel like a Sudanese. I’m going to do whatever it takes, with the help of my friends and community, to make sure the values that we’re all fighting for are held."